


Curses and Gifts

by Jupiterra



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Cute lesbians, F/F, Family Drama, Suicide Attempt, You Have Been Warned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-09-20 06:54:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17017869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jupiterra/pseuds/Jupiterra
Summary: Natalia is done with the holidays, done with pretending she's okay, and done with life. Follow her journey to willfully staying alive, and becoming more.This is my entry for a Christmas event on Tumblr, with the prompt of "gifts". Warnings for triggering suicidal angst have been given.





	1. Chapter 1

_“Russians are officially the world's biggest cat fanatics according to many studies ranging from 1995 to 2017. In 2017, one study revealed 59% of all Russians had cats, or personally cared for multiple cats. Another study revealed volunteers that seek and care for stray cats was on the rise in Russia since 2012. This was also true in Ukraine. In general, all former soviet states behave favourably towards cats.”_

_\- Statista.com, 2018_

\---------------------------------------------------------

Cigarette smoke twirled into the silver winter sky. It was a cloudy day, casting white light and snow over the urban jungle. It was a jagged concrete landscape of buildings, old and new. A rare church would poke its rounded spires above the chaos, gold or silver in colour. Here Natalia stood between the endless sprawl.

She stood on the tallest pedestrian friendly bridge she could find in Moscow. It had the most beautiful view of the blackened Volga river below. The bridge was older, almost pre-soviet, and gorgeous. It also had a haunted legacy.

This bridge was a popular place to die. The fall to the water below was fatal when diving head first. It offered perhaps the most elegant views of Moscow, a final treat before the kiss of death. It was also the least guarded. All the same, it was still protected against thieves. Stealing metal to sell to China was rife throughout Russia. Some people stole bridge plates and house wiring for a living. This meant she didn't have much time before a guard spotted her.

This was it. The thing she planned since three months ago. She wasn't even from here, a citizen of Minsk from Belarus. She wanted to die beautifully didn't she? Natasha had cleaned up and sold a majority of her possessions. She had updated her will. She had made peace with all her enemies in person. There was nothing left to do but die.

Natasha let out a shaky breath, the exhale making a white puff of short lived cloud. She leaned against the snow topped guard rail. Looking down for the twentieth time at churning dark waters. Nature, water, death calling her. She then resumed staring at the city skyline, stomping out her cigarette with smart black heels.

She lit another cigarette. She was surprised the guard had not come by yet. What was holding her back now? Her life was a mistake, and now she was here to correct it. An atheist since the beginning of her fragile life, she didn't search the sky for god. She didn't ask for signs from unseen creatures of magic. All the same...

It would have been nice to be noticed at all.

With this thought, she finally found what she needed. Tossing the half smoked cigarette into the river below, she began climbing the guard rail. The ungainly process was not helped by her designer stilettos and long fur coat. She almost had one leg over when something made a sound beside her.

Terrified it was the guard trying to stop her, Natalia looked around wildly. She spotted the thing that spooked her. It was a tiny black kitten, shivering in the cold. She hadn't seen the creature at all earlier. It meowed in a tiny voice, the intended message wavering from the ferocity of it's trembling.

 _Just a minute to see if it's okay, then back to killing myself._ She thought internally.

It mewled again pathetically, tottering forward. It was barely taller than the snow it pushed through. It placed a cold paw on her sheer winter leggings. The touch was soft, and very cold. Natalia sighed and got her butt off the the top of the guard rail.

Find out where the kitten came from, return it, then kill herself. This shouldn't take too long.

\------------------------------------

Bureaucracy was a nightmare in the motherland. Natasha had only rented this apartment for three days while she prepared for her suicide. She didn't have time for tangling with animal shelters and clogged traffic in thin Moscow streets. She was getting to that bridge again, and she was going to jump. She had planned her entire holiday around this, and the woman would not be denied.

Finally off the phone after twenty minutes of being given the run around, she grabbed her purse. The very same purse the kitten wouldn't stop playing with. It had a silver tassel hanging stylishly off one side that was apparently irresistible.

“I don't have time for this, little kitten.” Natalia hissed.

“Meow.” The kitten prompted more play, pouncing on her and crawling into a deep pocket.

“No, get out!” The platinum blonde ordered sharply, getting angry now. Her words went unheeded.

Just as she was about to extract the pest, her phone rang. The woman saw who it was and cringed. Her big brother was calling again. Technically, Natalia was supposed to jump yesterday. She had even timed how long it would take her family to find the suicide note, lining it up with when her train ride to Moscow ended.

Too far away to stop her, she had assumed. Natalia had been too weak to kill herself yesterday, and it was the very same today. Fretting and toying with her long hair, she decided to answer. She might as well, She was too pathetic to die after all.

Pressing the 'answer call' prompt, Natalia braced for a wall of noise. It came like a tide, a wave of words in her brother's emotion cracked voice. “Natasha, Natasha, are you there, you have to say something! The train won't go any faster, but I've been trying to find you for hours!”

The chilly armour Natalia had encased her psyche in began fracturing at the noises of concern. “Hello.” she answered softly, trembling from the effort.

“... Natasha... We found the note, and we were so worried. I'm so happy you didn't kill yourself. Please, please stay alive little longer. Please.”

A tear, a single tear. It was honestly the first she had for days. Natalia was so determined to never cry. It was a rule her father had beaten into her as a young thing. Despite dying tortuously from lung cancer, the paternal figure still loomed over her soul like a ghost.

“Go away.” Natalia whispered.

“I love you.” her brother plead right back, voice laden with fear through the phone. It was such a sorrowful sound, it could crack the hardest heart in two. At this, Natalia's stony defences finally crumbled as she sobbed.

\------------------------------------------

Delays and distractions. Natalia's life was fraught with the damn things. Ever since big brother Ivan found her in Moscow and dragged her home, she was plagued with the problems of the purposely living. Therapists she lied to, drugs she never ate, and mental exercises she never completed. Beyond all of this was her job. She was a corporate secretary for the Belorussian government. The stressed damsel had seen things no person should see. She had signed off tasks no person should bear. In every way possible, she could express nothing. It would legally destroy her family.

It was in this pressure cooker that was her life, that a new idea bloomed. Poison. She took two months to find and acquire all the ingredients. She did all the research possible to ensure she would be dead in minutes. She did it all in the ten to thirty minutes she was left alone after work each day. The rest of her life was monitored and tracked obsessively by Ivan and Ekaterina. Her siblings were terrified. They hid this poorly through filters of praise and smiles.

This wasn't life. This was prison.

Natalia giggled to herself as she prepared the cyanide tablets. She had maybe an hour before Katya called to make sure she wasn't dead. Anton wasn't helping at all. Anton was the kitten of before, from a frozen land. He was a mischievous little cat, as wicked as he was black. Always wanting to play. Anton was probably the only thing she didn't hate anymore.

The cat batted at the tablets as Natalia finished pressing them together. One fell to the floor. “Damn it Anton, you are being such a jerk right now!” She scolded. The petulant feline flopped on his back to be petted... right on top of her pill making supplies.

“No! It me so long to find this stuff!” she screeched, picking the playful kitty up and dusting him off. As the cat draped over her shoulder and purred like an engine, Natalia looked down. There was barely enough left to do the job. No, less than that. Damn her brother, and damn cuddly Anton!

The phone rang, twenty minutes earlier than usual. It had to be Katya. There was no other that called her so often, for Natalia had no friends. She was better off this way. Putting the phone on speaker mode, the sound of her sister's awful happy voice bled through. “Hello Natasha.”

“Hello prison keeper.” Natalia droned, carefully brushing the toxic powder off her fluffy pet. One lick would do the bad boy in, and that was _not_ allowed.

“It's not prison! It's... We just care about you, we love you, and if you keep trying to... We can't let that happen. You deserve to live.”

“I have every right to die.” Natalia grumbled.

“That's father speaking, not you. Remember what the therapist said about –” Natalia ended the call as her sister talked. She was in no mood for such cheerful bullshit. She would simply have to try committing suicide some other way, since there wasn't enough powder left to kill.

\---------------------------------------------

In this manner, her need to die was always delayed. More frequently, it was no longer at the top of her long task list. She supposed she had to work, to buy food for Anton. She had to keep the bills paid so Anton would be warm in the apartment. She had to save money to cover pet insurance.

Maybe after all this, she could rest and kill herself.

It was three more months that would pass before Natalia realized something. The distressed young woman was not without her problems. Even so, she had not planned another serious suicide attempt since Christmas. It was now spring.

She stood before her cluttered home desk, the pink post-it note between her fingers. The faded writing had faint yet visible dust over it. Her last planning session for death had been so delayed, it had dust gathered on it. What could be so important that it overrode one of her only days off? It was literally the only free day, coming up soon.

Flicking through her purse sized day planner, Natalia was humbled by the reason. 'Buy bullets' had been scratched out, written over with 'take Anton to vet'.

Natalia dropped the day planner and sunk to the floor. A silent heaving sob left her body, her heart cold. The fuzzy feline dragging out her exhausting life appeared, quick to sit in her lap. “Why? Why Anton? Are you some god or being? Are you here to ruin my life? I'm not supposed to be alive. Why do you keep getting in my way? Why do you keep stopping me with your stupid antics?”

The cat had nothing to say, looking up in expectation of cuddles. Of course it had nothing to say, it was a cat. They didn't talk to begin with. Angry with herself, she absently petted her accidental keeper. No. Natalia would not be stopped by a mere feline. She was never supposed to be born, a drunken mistake. Her father had told her this thousands of times.

This mistake was finally going to be corrected!

With force of will, she pushed the clingy kitty off her. Natalia would kill herself tonight if need be. If anything, she was a true perfectionist. It was messy, off schedule, not like her last two tries. Honestly, it was the least chance of being successful. She couldn't silently bear her burdens anymore, so this attempt was still worth a try.

Slipping on slush boots, she grabbed her purse. It had a gun stolen from work inside, a hasty grab from months ago. It was actually common for people at her top secret job to be armed. She simply didn't have a license for the thing. Natalia would figure out how to use this particular model quickly. It was a gun, not rocket science.

Careful to not let the cat escape, Natalia locked her apartment. She took a taxi to the closest gun ammunition place she could find. She bought herself a small box of 10 millimetre bullets without so much as a word. She left the store like a ghost, tired of existing.

Tired of breathing, pretending to care, trying to invent reasons to stay. Any place would do at this point for the deed. Only a block from the hunting supplies store, She settled for a dark alley strewn with garbage. Natalia glanced around, seeing no one. No pesky cats, no brothers, no calls from work. This was it.

She took the gun out. It was heavy and cold. It's metalic edges were reassuring in their own way. This was a tool and nothing more. It caused and relieved pain in turns. She was finally in control. Putting the gun awkwardly to her own temple, the platinum blonde let out a long breath. This was it. This was the end. With a final wistful smile, she pulled the trigger.

**BANG**

\----------------------------------------------------

Natalia first woke to a hospital room of white. She was so lucky, the flurry of nurses claimed. The bullet only grazed her brain, with no notable damage. She had even been discovered in timely manner, due to her cat escaping. The fuzzy black feline had led strangers to her still warm body only an hour after the grizzly attempt.

While scanning her brain for damage, the doctors had discovered a small growth the size of a grape. It was pressing on her Limbic Cortex. That was the part of the brain responsible for motivation, judgment, and mood swings. If the cat hadn't found her so fast, she would have bled out too much for them to remove it.

That damn cat had saved her life again, the little bastard.

Infernal cat. A demon, or an angel. A spirit. A witch in disguise. Natalia didn't care what it was or wasn't. She glared at the happy kitty sitting on her chest. The nurses thought the awful creature was such a 'gift', a 'blessing', that they let it stay with her for short visits.

Still hooked up to post-surgical IV bags and heavily bandaged, She glared at the beast on her body. “I don't know what you are Anton, but I don't like this. You keep fucking up my plans. Did you steal my gun too?” Natalia cursed quietly. Of course, there was no gun when the paramedics arrived in that dank alleyway. The whole incident was listed as a mugging.

The cat meowed, then groomed his paws.

“You didn't have the right to do this.”

The cat ignored her, again. There was a soft knock, then Ivan's tired face peeking in. His tall noble stature was dragged down by fatigue and dark eye bags. “Natalia?” He asked carefully, as if loud sounds would break her.

“Vanya.” Natalia responded flatly in turn.

She was swept into a crushing hug, Ivan bent over the hospital bed. The cat, lazy bastard that he was, just lay there like a loaf and waited for the embrace to end. “When they said you were shot, I thought, I thought you did yourself in. I thought... But you didn't. You were mugged right? The gun and shell casings were gone when you were found. If you did this to yourself...”

Ivan's enigmatic eyes revealed the truth, a man on the brink. He was a boy beyond stress for another, his own heart breaking, his own mind shattering. The revelation was shocking, and somehow new. How she had not noticed all this time was a stunning truth that struck Natalia in the frozen soul.

If Natalia killed herself, Ivan would do the same. She was sure of it. He had that same buried sorrow and desperation beneath his slightly sallow smoker's complexion. Ivan had probably been putting a front of cheer up for months. He had always been carrying the family's values since they moved to Minsk.

Natalia felt more like a fool than ever. “I... please stop crying.” she muttered.

“I don't cry.” Ivan assured cooly, true to his word as he let go. He was dry eyed but barely.

“I'm okay.” Natalia lied. She lied for him.

“You're okay.” Ivan sighed in relief, repeating her confirmations.

This peace wouldn't last. Both siblings were now attending therapy sessions together, to keep Natalia honest. Big brother was one of the few people that would call her out when she was lying through her teeth. In a strange twist, Ivan wasn't there purely out of support. He had been caught doing drugs off his desk at the law firm he was partnered with. In an ironic turn of events, The long time core of the family was the one to buckle and fail. He overdosed on a designer cocaine blend so strong, it could kill most people.

The curse of Anton also extended to Natalia's now doomed brother. A stray kitten had broke into the building, causing a chase that led straight to Ivan's closed office. He was literally a minute into overdosing when he was discovered. Of course, Ivan was deluded about the evil creature now taking residence in his home.

The fluffy white kitten was christened Ava, given the best of everything. It even came to therapy now, her conniving green eyes sucking Ivan in like low tide. Unlike Natalia who saw the truth, Ivan was a once lapsed catholic, now more devout than ever. It was annoying.

The therapy office was ten shades of generic. Potted plants, soothing beige, and stock photos of the Ural mountains in grey wash. It was like a terrible Ikea display come to life. The therapist was a soft spoken man, advanced in his years. He rhythmically tapped a pen on his note pad. Natalia wanted to jam the pen down his throat.

“So, Ivan. You've been progressing along great. How was this week for you?”

“Good. It's been six months since... since I overdosed. I'm four months clean. After work I've been volunteering at church, to keep busy. I met a nice girl there. Amelia. She thinks I'm funny.” Ivan answered honestly with a slight stammer, forever a terrible liar. His nervous happiness was disgusting sometimes.

The therapist nodded, looking to Natalia expectantly.

“What?” she spat. The stubborn woman had been dragged here for almost every session so far.

“Do you feel you've improved this last week?” the therapist asked pointedly.

“I'm not dead. I don't know what else to say.”

Ivan chuckled, patting her knee. “She's lonely.”

“I AM NOT LONELY.” Natalia growled, prickling with anger. All the same she was somewhat flustered. “I'm not dead, and I... I'm... I'm fine and neither of you have right to know anything about me.”

“Even if you are in denial about the miracles of god, Me and Katya can set you up with a nice man. If you feel love, you won't be so lonely anymore.” Ivan went on, bat shit crazy like he was. Natalia had been wrapped up in her own miseries so long, she didn't notice how off kilter Ivan was. Their whole family was probably insane.

“For the last time! Anton is not a blessing! He is a curse. I tried to kill myself eight times, and that fleabag ruined all the attempts! Do you know how much planning I... I... You wouldn't even understand!” Natalia argued hotly, her typically cold temper flaring dangerously at such topics.

“This is good. You're opening up.” The therapist spoke words again. Fucking idiot. He was just asking to get punched in the face.

“You're all crazy! I'm leaving.” Natalia accused, standing.

“The angels guided you to this moment. Even this little one!” Ivan cooed, petting his spoiled white cat.

“Now hold on...” The therapist called out, but it was in vain. Natalia was already in the sad beige hall. Ivan was faster than most, having dumped his cat to catch her by the wrist.

“Let go!” Natalia begged, knowing damn well he was much stronger.

“Just consider the date Katya set up, okay? It was hard to do on such short notice.” Ivan appealed, pressing a photograph into Natalia's open hands.

“ _Yes_. Now let go.” She agreed grudgingly, knowing she wouldn't have a choice. Her well meaning family would probably chain her to the table during this stupid blind date.

Ivan smiled, pleased with himself. “Good.” He gave her a familial peck on the cheek, then receded back into that terrible office. Her dear brother had enough problems to fill in ten therapy sessions by himself.

Huffing and grumbling unpleasantness, Natalia stomped out of the building in only the way a woman in heels can. She was two blocks from the shitty medical building, when she finally dared a peek at the picture in her clenched fist. It was probably some ugly hog of a date, a bearded man with moles and war scars. Maybe it was a weak city dweller instead, with the frame of a sickly calf.

Flipping the photo up, she was very wrong. It was a fiery looking brunette of a woman, long ringlets all over the place. She looked warm, and a dozen other adjectives Natalia knew were forbidden to say. Those 'gifts' certainly looked ample in this dating profile picture. The unknown woman was in some fitted lacy number that probably passed as a summer dress.

A hot blush creeping into Natalia's porcelain complexion, she looked away in embarrassment. It was just a picture. She shouldn't be so bothered. She _wasn't_ affected if she had a say. Natalia was just feeling hot right now, do to the weather. Yeah. It was just a picture of a... a _shapely_ woman. Swallowing she looked at the back of the picture. There was a sloppy note in Katya's wild cursive writing. Yuck, it was in glitter pen.

_Her name is Elizabeta. @ Full Moon diner for 1700 tonight. Dress formal! Kisses, Katya!_

Maybe, perhaps... Natalia could put off planning her next attempt for one night. If only to explain how straight Natalia was over a glass of wine or three with this charming stranger. Yeah, that was it.


	2. Chapter 2

_“You had to be willing to fight in order for a love story to last a life time.”_

_\- Cristina Marrero, The Unsung Love Story_

\---------------------------------------------------------

Elizabeta, or simply 'Liz' to her closest friends, believed she was a smart person. She was a tough woman with wit sharper than a dagger. It was due to this healthy confidence that the athletic brunette realized something. It was something profoundly dark and terrifying.

Her hot date was mentally disturbed. The ash blonde was so devastatingly gorgeous, it had taken Elizabeta two whole outings to take notice. It was something far beyond the typical fear all lesbians had in this repressed part of the world. There was a looming shadow over the beautiful woman known as “Natalia Arlovskaya”.

The event that revealed this hidden secret was an accidental one. It was on the second date, at a movie theatre in Minsk. Elizabeta had been in such a rush to arrive on time, she forgot to take off her flight attendant uniform. Technically, the short skirted outfit was supposed to stay on airport property. To hell with the rules!

Natalia claimed to be 'normal' and 'straight'. Elizabeta knew this was a lie. She could feel the quiet woman's attention constantly. Natalia's dusky blue gaze hungrily noted the smallest movements of Elizabeta's body. The taller brunette was willing to bet on this attraction, hiking her uniform skirt up slightly to show off lean runner's legs.

The result was as predictable as it was delightful. Natalia was without words, simply watching with soft expression. Her eyes seemed unable to land on any one sight, eventually downward in shyness. “Elizabeta... You arrived early as well. I wasn't sure if you'd come.”

“After that lovely dinner,” _Our date. It was a date and we both know it. Our siblings set us up over drinks._ “... I thought a movie would be a fun treat.” Private thoughts aside and silent, Elizabeta was rather pleased with her blind date. Even if Natalia was in predictable denial, there was attraction present. Belorussian lesbians simply had to be lured out of their secret fortresses.

“I suppose. I haven't been to the movies in... years.” Natalia agreed, looking up at the films advertised in big Cyrillic letters. She seemed uncertain about the social adventure. The grip on her purse strap tightened.

The brunette took the initiative, before Natalia's hidden nervousness gained strength. “It'll be fun. Let's see what's playing inside.” Liz promised with a bright smile. Natalia looked ready to melt at the very words, following her easily.

In the lobby, there was several pamphlets with vague movie descriptions hanging off a wall. As the flight attendant browsed them, she played with long ringlets of hair. Elizabeta secretly regretted letting her Russian fade so badly from memory. Most of the descriptions were not making sense.

The softest of questions came from Elizabeta's date. Natalia was typically strong as steel, so the voice used was surprising. “If... a plane crashed, would anyone feel the impact?”

What a dark question. What an usual question! Liz was indeed chock full of plane based wisdom. People asked her this kind of stuff all the time at work. Almost never was the content so depressing. “I... guess it really depends on whether a plane crashes into a hidden mountain or fails to land. Why?”

The brunette turned to look with concern ever so slightly, almost missing it. A fleeting glimpse of her date's typically neutral expression had shifted. It was on the edge of her vision, like a ghost sighting. All the same, the morbid question had been asked with absolute seriousness. Natalia's beautiful blue eyes had been dark wells of sorrow for a few seconds. It was a few seconds too long.

Before Elizabeta could so much as say a word, the opportunity was gone. Once more Natalia was standard operating condition. Trying to read Slavic girls like her was such a damn difficulty sometimes. The ash blonde was soon helping her date read the movie pamphlets, very much in charge. Unlike the pigs at work, Natalia was willing to bend and heed to better ideas. It was quite compelling and nice to encounter.

Just like that, the death question was swiftly forgotten. Only several days later did it resurface in Liz's sleepy mind. She was prepping for work in her tiny rental room in Minsk. A rental in the capitol of Belarus and Hungary was necessary. The route Elizabeta's pilot worked began and ended in such places. Like a nasty chill, the depressed memory came to her as she brushed her hair.

What a horrible question. Why had the wonderful Natalia asked it it all?

Out of pure habit, Elizabeta called her mother on the phone. The two had always been close since forever. Mom was probably being loud and colourful in the kitchen, absolute drowning her breakfast with paprika right now. Maybe a radio was playing as her coffee brewed. Caffeine so strong it punched you in the brain. Such happy associations were deep in Elizabeta's heart.

Not even two rings today before it was picked up. “Hello Child.” the parent greeted happily in her native Hungarian.

“Mom, I love you.” Elizabeta greeted in the same language.

“Aw sweetness... What do you want?”

“Whatever you're having for breakfast. Maybe some advice.”

At the possibility of dispensing life advice, Mother perked right up. “Is something the matter?”

“Well, there's a girl...” Elizabeta began, perfectly open and secure about personal topics. “... she's great. But during our second date, she said something weird. It bugs me.”

“Is she gay at all, or is this one of your sister's little schemes?” the parent chided, not new to this conversational topic. Both Elizabeta and Emma had been serial daters and passionate romantics. A new partner was dragged home every other month as 'the one' until a few years ago.

“It's lesbian, and yes, Natalia is definitely into me.” Liz defended proudly, assured in her own desirability. “That's not why I called. Last date, she was depressed for a minute. I'm not sure why.”

“It's Belarus. Everyone there is supposed to look sad.”

“MOM! That's a horrible stereotype. You know what I mean! This was actually being sad.” the daughter exclaimed, leaving the phone on speaker mode as she did up her wavy long hair. It was always a challenge to wrangle into place with ties and pins.

“It's Belarus, Liza. She's probably scared to be openly lesbian. She might not even understand what you're doing to her.”

Elizabeta huffed at the mere suggestion. “I don't _do_ anything.”

“I know all your little tricks brat. I gave birth to you. Your little skirts and red lipstick. Teasing all the poor women and men in the world... If only I had _one_ grandchild to spoil.” Mother was hardly serious, being very affectionate.

“Ewww, men are gross. I'm leaving this conversation.” Elizabeta groaned, not offended at all.

“Two grandchildren, and a nice little garden I can plant my ginger in.”

“Going. I'm going.”

There was a breath, then a chuckle. “Okay dear, I love you.”

“Love you too Mom.” With that, the woman was ready for work and out the door. Still, Mother's concerns were legitimate. What if Natalia was still in the closet to her family, to the world? She seemed all for hand holding and looking at Liz's goods subtly. Maybe the cool tempered delight was having a bad day and nothing more.

All of these theories would be tested next time. Finally, Elizabeta would steal herself a nice little kiss and test the romantic waters. Maybe the cute woman was still trying to figure herself out after all. Liz just wanted to _help_ her along to make the right decision.

00000

Summers in Minsk could be beautiful, but riddled with flies. Luckily, a strong breeze was keeping the tiny bastards at bay. Everything was going to be perfect, because this was Elizabeta's moment. In the middle of this charming public flower garden, the plucky brunette was going to flex her romance skills. Natalia Arlovskaya was finally going to be helped along to her obvious persuasion.

Even's Liz's own image was perfectly crafted. Rich brown ringlets framed a mostly natural face. A light summer dress was white and innocent. Of course, Elizabeta was not an innocent woman. She had the capacity to be downright brutal in defence of her own honour. Today was all about subversive seduction however.

Finally, Natalia arrived. She was still in her generic work appropriate dress, shades and angles of grey. She looked almost scared as she explored her surroundings. Finally, dark blue eyes settled on Liz's deceptively sweet form. A subtle blush crept into her porcelain complexion. So, the dress was working.

“Natalia. I'm glad you made it here.” Elizabeta greeted, batting her eyes demurely.

“Your Russian is terrible.” Natalia replied in almost perfect Hungarian, sounding more affectionate than likely intended.

“I'm just flattered you know my mother tongue so well.” The brunette answered happily, relieved to switch languages. She wasn't hurt in the slightest by Natalia's brusque honesty. It was a welcome change after so many complex and tiring relationships with more trying subjects.

“So, what's the emergency?”

Elizabeta grinned at the prompt, stepping forward and holding both hands. It was a delight to complete the action. “The emergency is... I don't have your company on such a fine day. That's just terrible.”

Clearly Natalia had been expecting something unpleasant to occur. With this not the case, she seemed to mentally tailspin a moment. “I... I'm not... That's hardly a reason to call someone. I'm not even special.” she stammered.

“No, I'm mistaken. I really called you here because of a secret.”

Natalia, like any human, was instantly interested by secrets. “Oh?”

“Yes, but I have to tell you somewhere a little more private.” They weaved between tall flower bushes, soviet statues of animals, and down a cobblestone path. Finally, the two women were truly alone, perched on a wooden bench.

It was now or never to find out the truth, and Elizabeta was not patient. The hand holding shifted gently to a hand on Natalia's thigh, and she was too entranced to be upset about it. That seemed like a good sign.

“My secret,” Elizabeta began with hooded bedroom gaze, “Is that I like you very much. I'd like to see you more, with your permission.”

Natalia babbled something in rather strange sounding Russian. It was probably her own Belorussian language. Elizabeta shushed her and sat closer, charms applied as thickly as her peach lip gloss. Finally, after two awkward date endings without satisfaction, the more dominant lesbian had her way. She leaned in and kissed Natalia.

It was soft and sweet at first, with no participation. A second later, Natalia pressed back. She had no control over what she was doing, but the need was there. If the wanton desire was present, it was consent enough for a lusting Elizabeta.

Taking the lead, Liz guided exploring hands around her. Shifting so both their postures were more comfortable, Natalia was held against a generous bosom in deeply blushing emotion. Everything felt so right in this moment, worth the wait.

Without warning, their impromptu make-out session ended. Natalia stuttered nonsense again while clutching her briefcase to her heaving chest. She stood and backed up a few steps, completely bewildered by the encounter.

It was clear now, the ash blonde beauty had no idea what she was doing, even if she was willing to go along with things. Elizabeta's sister, Emma, had been warned of this possibility via the friend of a cousin of a hairdresser. Liza could still _work_ with this scenario, even if it was only a learning experience for another. Maybe the brunette was just really horny.

“That was... that, was. That was a kiss.” Natalia finally managed to wrangle a real sentence together in Hungarian.

“Was it?” the other woman teased.

“I can't.”

“You can't what?”

“I can't do this. It's not something father would have approved of.” Natalia stated, still in freak out mode.

 _Father_. Not papa, or daddy, but a sharp clinical title of 'Father' in past tense. This was not the first time Elizabeta had encountered an oppressive parental figure's influence. Obvious from the past tense, the ill mannered male was dead or had abandoned the family. This was probably that dark cloud that loomed over her date like bad weather.

With a kind smile, the brunette pulled Natalia into a soft hug. It was clear she was not used to the notion. She vibrated with anxiety in the nurturing embrace. “I think you can do it.” Liz whispered, keen to claim ever more.

“I-I-I couldn't. I'm not special. I'm just a random woman, this is-isn't normal.” Natalia continued to have a meltdown, but no longer pushed away from the tender touches. She clung to them instead, her contact starved nature revealed.

In all this, Elizabeta's eyes saw new observations from being so close. Natalia always parted her hair to the left. In this comfortable hold, it couldn't be helped that her bangs shifted to reveal part of a new scar beneath. Liz immediately recognized the precise circle of fresh pink skin. It was right at the temple, the size of a coin.

It was a gun shot wound. It had to be. Surgical holes would be bigger or much smaller. Paired with the suspicious scars on Natalia's wrists... She always wore gloves or gaudy wrist accessories to hide the things. Why was there a gunshot wound? Why in such a strange location? Why was there persistent wrist scars? Why was Natalia always so tense or anxious? Why was her self-esteem absolutely destroyed? Why was she always... A nightmare revelation surfaced in Elizabeta's mind.

_Was Natalia suicidal?_

If Elizabeta was right, this was no mere sexual identity crisis or oppressive father figure. This wasn't even a simple case of depression. Not that such things could be called 'simple'. The hot mess known as Natalia Arlovskaya was a whole other level of troubles. She was a diamond wrapped in ugly stone. No one had tried to break her free of the heavy mantle so she could truly sparkle.

At least, no one had yet to succeed.

Elizabeta grinned. She appreciated a challenge, even an impossible one. With a final soothing back pat, she nuzzled the distressed woman in her arms. “Natalia, I don't care what you've done. I don't care where you've been. I only want to enjoy your company a little more. I think you're worth it.”

The cheesy line worked. It worked incredibly well, making Natalia tear up a little as she carefully dabbed her eyes dry. “Why?” she asked skeptically.

“Why not?” Elizabeta countered playfully, green eyes bright with mischief.

Finally, the desired result of the social event was achieved. “Okay. A few more kisses. Maybe a date.” Natalia relented, looking tired from all of these proceedings.

“Okay!”

“But I'm not normal, or healthy...”

“Sure.”

“... and you aren't going to change or fix me like I'm a damn car. I'm a person with my own opinions.”

By now, Liz was giddy and giving a dozen sweet cheek kisses. She would be victorious, always. “Definitely.” All the while, Natalia looked ready to cook from her own blush.

“You probably shouldn't do this. Just one date.”

Eye level with the worried blonde, Elizabeta smiled with her eyes. “I'm going to make it something you'll never forget.” That was a promise she was looking forward to fulfilling. The bold brunette would succeed, and Natalia's shattered heart _would_ be healed.


End file.
